Chiropractic Is Quackery
While spinal manipulation MAY help SOME low back pain, manipulation can easily be done by other health professionals that are MUCH safer for patients, such as physical therapists.
The main danger of chiropractic is that most chiropractors are not trained in proper diagnosis and may delay referring you to a real doctor, even for life-threatening conditions.
Another danger is that chiropractors have a pseudoscientific belief system and often recommend dangerous, expensive, or bizarre treatments that are completely worthless.
Chiropractic is also dangerous for potential students. Chiropractors have the highest student loan default rates of any health profession. Many private insurers will not pay for chiropractic, so new graduates increasingly must try to sell patients expensive and unnecessary "pre-paid care plans" or risk defaulting on their student loans.
The purpose of this lens is to promote skeptical thinking about chiropractic, and to dissuade students from taking out chiropractic college loans.
Please forward this lens to any friends or family members who are considering visiting a chiropractor (or becoming one) so they can get the facts and make an informed choice.
Don't become a chiropractor
Here's why to avoid this career
Chiropractors have the highest student loan default rates of any healthcare profession.(If you don't believe me, just follow the links on this page.)
The average chiropractor (DC) graduates with over $100,000 in student loan debt, yet can usually make only around $30,000 as an associate doctor. This figure often includes no health insurance, retirement, vacation, or other benefits.
As an associate doctor, your main job will be to RECRUIT PATIENTS, which basically means to indoctrinate them into the idea that they need to come to your office three times a week for the rest of their lives.
This is accomplished by scaring patients and telling them they have a fake lesion called a subluxation. This is, of course, pure quackery. Only chiropractors believe that subluxations exist. No other doctor or scientist has ever found one.
In reality, you are just cracking the joints of a patient's back and your treatment can have no effect on health (other than maybe easing some minor back pain). There is no evidence that getting joints cracked regularly is good -- it just costs the patient extra money and may even cause ligament laxity.
Many modern chiros will tell you that they don't treat subluxations and that they are evidence based. Don't fall for this one. If chiropractic was truly "evidence based", it wouldn't even need to exist as a profession since physical therapists and physicians can crack joints for back pain.
Some chiropractors claim they can help all kinds of things which they have no business treating. Some claim they can treat diabetes, ADD, hormone problems, depression, even cancer... just by cracking someone's joints.
The cost of chiropractic college is high. Over $80,000 for just tuition. This does not include books, equipment, very expensive licensing exams, etc., -- not to mention the years of lost wages while you are a full time student.
Students will often hear reports of chiropractors making big bucks. This is usually false data that is coming from chiropractic sources. The reality for new grads is that it is almost impossible to open up your own clinic, and the student loan default rate for chiropractors is extremely high.
Before you go into serious debt to become a chiropractor, please research the links provided on the page and seriously consider the information presented. You may avoid a poor choice that will hurt you for years to come in the form of lost time and a huge debt burden.
Chiropractor Is Voted "Most Overrated Career"
"Chiropractor" has been voted Most Overrated Career by U.S. News & World Report magazine for 2007.Click HERE for the full story
According to the magazine: "Some chiropractors think their discipline can cure everything from headaches to sciatica, asthma to premenstrual syndrome. But the Federal Trade Commission only allows chiropractors to claim they can treat low back pain. And even so, research shows that mainstream treatments for lower back pain are equally effective. Many chiropractors also devote considerable time to marketing-in part to pay back the cost of chiropractic school, usually over $100,000."
Chiropractic Books Worth Reading
These books will give you information on chiropractic -- and why you should avoid it
Chiropractic Links
Links Promoting The Skeptical Discussion Of Chiropractic
Chirotalk: The Skeptical Chiropractic Discussion Forum - Home
The #1 Chiropractic Discussion Forum on the intern more...2 points
American Student Loan DEBT Crisis
Includes info about Chiro College Student Loan Deb more...2 points
Stroke and Chiropractors
In the early morning hours of a cold day in Novemb more...1 point
Chiropractic Student Loan Debt on Squidoo
Chiropractors have the highest student loan defaul more...1 point
Chirobase: Your Skeptical Guide to Chiropractic History, Theories, and Practices
A comprehensive site exposing chiropractic quacker more...0 points
The Student Loan Mess: Why Chiropractic Is in Trouble
This article shows why so many chiropractors defau more...0 points
Improper Claims on Chiropractic College Web Sites
This article how chiropractic college lie on their more...0 points
A Warning for Pre-Chiropractic Students
A personal essay on what it's like to be a Doctor more...0 points
http://www.defaulteddocs.dhhs.gov/l
List of doctors who have defaulted on their Health more...0 points
Confessions of a Quackbuster
I confess to being a skeptic who is concerned abou more...0 points
ChiroWatch - All you need to know about chiropractic
CHIROWATCH.COM - We educate the public about the r more...0 points
Skeptical Chiropractic Videos on Youtube
Watch them and create your own
Is Chiropractic Dangerous?
Ask An Injured Patient
Check out this list of websites and organizations started by patients who were injured by chiropractic treatment:
Click HERE to see list
If you become a chiropractor, there is a very real possibility that you will hurt someone. Chiropractors mainly hurt people due to their lack of training in diagnosis (they try to treat critical emergency cases with useless chiro treatments).
But sometimes they stroke people out by doing unnecessary neck manipulations.
Buyer Beware!
How you can help fight Chiropractic Quackery
Together, we can spread the word
#2 -- Post VIDEOS on Youtube.
Until recently, Youtube was totally overrun with chiropractic quackery. This gave a false sense of legitimacy to pseudoscience and put patients and students at risk.
Please continue to post news segments (if you have permission) about injured chiropractic patients, chiropractic student loan defaults, chiropractors getting arrested for fraud advertising, etc.
And if you have video production skills, consider creating a short video. It can even be just a "slideshow" with research, facts, or links to where consumers can go for more information. If you need links to research to back-up what you say, please email me and I will be glad to help.
Your efforts could help prevent someone getting swindled by a chiropractor or even having a stroke from an unnecessary manipulation. Thanks!
Reader Feedback
Here are the latest cheers and jeers from chiroskeptics and chiro true believers.
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katherinejohnson88
Feb 14, 2012 @ 10:14 am | delete
- Wow this is an eye-opener. Thanks for sharing this lens. Very helpful information. Pinnacle Lawsuit
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ChiroAustin
Feb 14, 2012 @ 12:10 pm | delete
- I encourage you to check out the other side of this, to get the full picture.
http://www.squidoo.com/LifeChiropractic
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peters03
Feb 12, 2012 @ 3:50 am | delete
- You've obviously put a lot of time and effort into dedicating this to the hatred to chiropractics. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, however this is obviously written with only pure emotion and lack of legitimate information to back up your comments. You mention how going to a PT is a much safer alternative to health care. However, chiropractic students are also required to learn how to use the same modalities as a PT would use on a daily basis (IFC, ultra sound, tens, muscle stim, etc.) and are required to pass the Physiotherapy national exam before graduating. Any professional who swindles their clients/customers is undoubtedly unprofessional, however this isn't characteristic of the chiropractic profession. The scope of the chiropractor depends on the state/province where the practice is located. In some states with a larger scope, chiropractors are considered to be the primary health care provider and do more than just "crack a back" as you put it. During the four years of graduate school, students can become educated in screening for neurological disorders, cancers, complete physical exams, yearly medical check ups, rehabilitation, strength and conditioning, soft tissue maintenance, just to barely scratch the surface of their abilities. My chiropractor was also able to diagnose me with pneumonia after doing a physical exam and deciding to take x-rays of my chest. You call it a pseudoscience because you don't want to take the time and actually research the subject. Many systematic reviews and meta-analysis studies over the years have shown the benefits of chiropractics in terms of health care, and it is only becoming an increasingly popular alternative to medicinal-health care. If you take the time to educate yourself maybe next time you can post something a little less biased.
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acorley
Feb 12, 2012 @ 2:19 am | delete
- I find this article incredibly biased.
For example "While spinal manipulation MAY help SOME low back pain, manipulation can easily be done by other health professionals that are MUCH safer for patients, such as physical therapists. Why would it be safer for a PT to adjust or manipulate the cervical spine.
What is this statement based upon? Opinion? Fact?
"Another danger is that chiropractors have a pseudoscientific belief system and often recommend dangerous, expensive, or bizarre treatments that are completely worthless."
Really is that why Jerry Rice promotes chiropractic? Or many other professional athletes?
Oh yes chiropractic so expensive. What does the average spinal surgery cost? At least 100 to 120 thousand dollars right? A visit to a Doctor of Chiropractor may include x-rays, treatment plan consisting of spinal adjustments, maybe disc traction, possibly other therapies at most 2 maybe 3 thousand dollars at the most?
If Chiropractic is so dangerous why do Chiropractors have the Lowest malpractice insurance of any health care profession. We don't prescribe drugs, we perform surgeries. Are there risk? Absolutely like any health healing field. Are there risk to taking medication or surgery? Of course.. why would chiropractic be any different?
To make such strong statements I would imagine there would be more facts or data to support your claims that chiropractic is bizarre, dangerous, and completely worthless. Not a youtube video or strong persuasive arguments. Where are the facts?
Here is my story,
My father had terrible migraine headaches. He visited a Medical Doctor, a dentist, and couldn't find relief. My grandfather suggested chiropractic. He visited a chiropractor and within 2 visits all of his headaches disappeared.
I had a low back injury playing basketball growing up and visited the same chiropractor. My pain went away instantly.
I choose chiropractic as a profession because it works, I get to serve the community, and help people feel better.
Later when I attended Chiropractic College I saw children get adjusted. That seemed bizarre until I saw the results. Children with ear aches gone, croup disappeared.
Hmm, might sound bizarre but I see the results. I can't argue with that.
My last story... My last year of chiropractic school my mother had a stroke, I witnessed it. Not because of an adjustment, but she had high blood pressure and other hidden health problems.
They took her to the hospital and did very little for her. They didn't give her medication to
help or anything. She proceeded to have a series of strokes while in the hospital. Well, she has been out for a year now and has done physical therapy has recovered well. Can walk and drive a car, and does remind of the lady in the video. My mother has to think how to walk, how to get around.
I'm sorry she had a stroke I am. Maybe the Chiropractor did not take proper precautions such as taking her blood pressure, informing the patient of possible dangers ect. I don't know wasn't there. However, to put all chiropractors into the same category is absurd.
What if a Medical Doctor accidently over prescribed or medication causing the death of a patient? Could I conclude that all Medical Doctors are dangerous, bizarre and crazy?
I hope not.
The whole article is persuade future students not to pursue a career in chiropractic, and to trash chiropractic as a whole.
You know, chiropractic works, patients know it, people talk, thats why the profession is still around since 1895. Its not because the government gives Chiropractic College Millions of dollars to do research such as Pharmacuitcals. No, Chiropactic has stood the test of time because it works, people get results, and they tell other people. Period.
So I stand as a proud Doctor of Chiropractic.
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by DoctorSJ
Chiropractic is Quackery -- Warning chiropractors, chiropractic patients, and chiropractic students about the danger of this pseudoscience health cult... more »
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